“The Government of Somaliland congratulates its people on successful local elections” Press Release

“The Government of Somaliland congratulates its people on successful local elections” Press Release

The Government of the Republic of Somaliland welcomes the outcome of Somaliland’s November 28th local elections, our latest in a series of several presidential, parliamentary and local elections stretching back to 2002.

Following a successful period of peaceful campaigning and voting in which the country’s hard-won 21 years of stability was maintained, the election results have finally been tabulated and verified. We would like to congratulate all the local counselors, mayors and governors on their successes, while also commending those who have lost for respecting the results and maintaining the dignity of the country’s democratic process. We echo the praise of the international election observers of our people’s sincere commitment to democracy.

The government and the people of Somaliland would like to thank international donors, implementing organisations and election observers for again showing their commitment to assisting our country’s consolidation of democracy. Such financial and technical support was crucial to the peaceful and smooth completion of the elections, and we hope such support will only continue in advance of Somaliland’s upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

Our democratic path continues to stand out as a shining example of the democratic potential inherent to the peoples of the Horn of Africa and the continent as a whole, and we have seen encouraging progress in many areas, such as the increased participation of youth and women as voters and candidates and the use of the judicial system to resolve electoral disputes. But as democratic practices become further institutionalized, new challenges will unavoidably arise, and our people must be brave and spirited enough to learn from those challenges.

We therefore take heed and are prepared to address the recommendations of the international election observers to put in place a robust and effective voter/citizen registration system to guarantee the integrity of each and every vote. Our government institutions and civil society organisations are already exploring ways to make this a reality. We call on the international community to support these efforts.

With each passing election, Somaliland’s commitment to stability, peace, democracy and the fight against extremism becomes more evident. Underpinning this commitment is the Somaliland people’s belief that to compromise these values would be to not only undermine the country’s potential for development and growth, but also create a setback in the efforts of neighboring countries and the international community in reestablishing peace throughout the Horn of Africa.

Press Office Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

 

AFP- Polls in Somaliland ‘transparent’: international observers

AFP: Polls in Somaliland ‘transparent’: observers

(AFP)

NAIROBI — Local elections in the self-declared nation of Somaliland were “largely peaceful and transparent”, international observers said Monday, but noted concern at “weaknesses in safeguards against multiple voting.”

Council elections across the northern Somali region, a rare area of relative stability compared to war-torn southern Somalia, took place on November 28, with over 2,300 candidates contesting for 379 positions.

“We can cautiously report many positives,” the report read from the 50-strong international team of observers, organised by the British aid agency Progressio.

“Election campaigning appears to have been competitive and pluralistic, with seven different parties and associations fielding candidates.”

However, the team said there were some concerns, the most serious being an “absence of a voter registry, and weaknesses in related safeguards”.

That included inadequate indelible ink used to stain fingers of those who voted, making polling “vulnerable to multiple voting.”

Results are due in coming days, with the observers to release a further statement after that.

Somaliland, a former British protectorate, won independence in 1960 but days later joined with Somalia. In 1991, after years of bitter war with the government in Mogadishu, it declared independence from the rest of the country.

While anarchic southern Somalia has been riven by years of fighting between multiple militia forces, Somaliland has enjoyed relative peace.

AFP: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iR5UeNycERIg6FutlH0thAdnZgkw?docId=CNG.e74adb0aba38c8fff47792f393a62118.471